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Beginning Piano Improvisation Activities
This post will explore beginning piano improvisation activities and why improvisation is so important. Objectives, For students to feel comfortable making their own music. To inspire creativity. To build confidence…
Practice Makes Progress
Chapter 18 – From “The Happiest Piano Teacher in Town-Empowering Teachers to Inspire Students” Practice makes progress. “Our aim needs to be the nurturing of children. The moment we rigidly…
Teaching Piano When Life is Stressful
No one ever talks about this, but teaching piano lessons can be hard on days when you are stressed, sad, or overwhelmed with concerns outside of the studio. It’s difficult…
Scripted Communication for Sticky Situations
It’s easy for me to know when boundaries are being crossed. I can feel it. It feels…well, bad. My blood pressure goes up, I lose sleep I feel angry. Maybe,…
The Value of Independent Piano Work
My goal as a teacher is to make myself unnecessary. I am happiest when I see my alumni playing music they have learned without my help. However, getting students to…
Ten Ways to Make Your Piano Studio More Profitable
I don’t know about you, but I feel like things are getting more and more expensive and money is getting harder and harder to come by. As piano teachers, we…
Make Time Fly While Teaching Piano Lessons
If you never feel bored, tired, or burned out while teaching this post is not for you. If you could use a little help to “Make time fly while teaching…
Still trying to Please Everyone? Stop it! You Can’t.
I had almost forgotten. It’s been a little while since I’ve been hit with a dose of negativity. Things have been going pretty well lately. I got a job at…
What Kind of Piano Teacher are You?
What Kind of Piano Teacher am I? Take the Quiz below In my last blog post “Still Trying to Please Everyone? Stop it! You Can’t” I describe an incident…
Love Will Keep Us Together
I have one, most all-important wish for every person (adult or child) who comes into my studio to begin piano lessons. That is, that they fall in love with the…
10 Ways to Make Your Piano Studio More Profitable Without Raising Rates
I don’t know about you, but I feel like things are getting more and more expensive and money is getting harder and harder to come by. As piano teachers,…
How and Why to Teach Folk Music to Piano Students
Folk Music, by definition, is the music of the people. It is simple enough that the average person can perform it and it reflects the lives and concerns of its…
10 Great Piano Teaching Games Using Chopsticks
Like most teachers, I always have an eye out for things that I can use when I am teaching. I came across a great set of twenty Chopsticks in the…
How to Draft a Piano Studio Policy
There are always questions coming up about studio policies. Recently I was asked to help draft a studio policy for the Arts Center where I teach. The idea was to…
Create Your Own Hands-on Piano Piano Activities
Hands-on is Helpful. I live in Cleveland Ohio in the U.S. There is a large and vibrant classical music community here due to the presence of the Cleveland Institute of…
A Heart for Teaching Piano Teachers – Part 1
I remember my very first piano teaching job at a music store in New York. I got the job because my violin teacher and her husband owned the store. I…
A Heart for Teaching Piano Teachers – Part 2
Here is the second part of last week’s blog post. A Heart for Teaching Piano Teachers – Part 1. Continued. Everything has a downside While it is true that most…
Piano Studio Etiquette 101
Here’s a post I plan to publish at pianoparents.net. I thought piano teachers might find it entertaining. I would love to hear some of your comments and stories. Piano studio…
10 Ways to Make your Piano Studio More Profitable
I don’t know about you, but I feel like things are getting more and more expensive and money is getting harder and harder to come by. As piano teachers, we…
Preschool Piano Skills and Goals
What does it mean to be the best piano teacher in town? It means having preschool piano skills and goals that will attract and maintain great students. Here are some…
Why Do We Need a Piano and What Type Should We Get?
Why do we need a piano and what type should we get? Students need a piano because they need to be able to practice at home. Learning to play any…
Discovering Peace and Prosperity
I am so honored and excited to present this guest post from my friend and colleague Sarah Buckley, owner of Keys to Success. In addition to being a piano teacher,…
Why Teach Music History to Piano Students?
Music History…Music History! Are you still with me? Why teach music history to piano students? Honestly, I used to hate my college Music History class. “Music Misery” does that ring a…
Time to Say Goodbye
How and When to Let Go of a Piano Student Ashley is an eighth-grader and she’s one of my favorite students. She’s been coming to lessons every week for the…
Sight-Reading
Sight-reading piano music is no easy task! Actually reading piano music at all is no easy task. Being able to instantly play music that is set before you is nothing…
Free Piano Sheet Music
The other night I desperately needed to print out a simple version of “Amazing Grace” for a Tuesday night choir rehearsal. I know that this song is in the public…
9 Tips for Teaching Teenage Beginning Piano Students
I started learning the piano at age 12. Which is kind of late musically speaking. The fact is the earlier in life you start piano lessons the better. However, not…
Understanding Parents and Caregivers
This blog post is taken from my book “The Happiest Piano Teacher in Town”. Chapter 14 – Understanding Parents and Caregivers “Expect the best and people will rise to the…
Teaching Piano Students to be “Let Go” Players
Piano Students Need to Let Go! Nicholas was playing the Beethoven Minuet in G Major when he suddenly lost his place in the trio section. “Ms. Hall where am I?”…
Overachieving Piano Students
The Overachieving Student Overachieving piano students, We love them! In fact, most of the piano teachers are overachievers so we can relate to them. Students who are willing to practice…
10 Tips For Accurate Piano Playing
Accurate Piano Playing “Ms. Doreen, which instrument is the easiest to play?” I get this question quite often. Though I’m not sure why my students want to know. A few…
Playing Piano Over the Summer
I posted this article about why students should continue playing piano over the summer last year I am reposting it with a few changes. Feel free to share it with…
Piano Students Dealing With Disappointment
Disappointment Back in November, I wrote a blog post entitled “How to Have a Confident Audition”. This post was inspired by the fact that four of my best students were…
The Best Piano Teacher in Town
We would all like to be THAT teacher. The best piano teacher. The fun one that everybody talks about. The teacher who’s got great students who are awesome players. The…
The Perfectionistic Piano Student
Have you ever had an experience with a student that just doesn’t compute? You know the child is smart. She’s in the gifted program at school yet she doesn’t seem…
Overcoming Stage Fright
Stage Fright Stage fright anyone? Or should I say stage fright, everyone? We’ve all been there. Those sweaty palms and sick stomachs are things all performers experience. And I do…
The Highs and Lows of a Piano Teaching Mom
The Highs and Lows of a Piano Teaching Mom It’s a dream come true, right? Not only can you play the piano, but you make money teaching piano lessons, from…
Learning Piano Scales and Arpeggios the Easy Way
Learning Piano Scales and Arpeggios the Easy Way In the last blog post “Convincing Kids to Play Piano Scales & Arpeggios” I wrote about explaining to students why playing scales…
Convincing Kids to Play Piano Scales and Arpeggios
Let me start by being perfectly honest. I don’t like teaching scales or arpeggios. Come to think of it, I don’t like playing them either. I don’t know of many…
The Piano As a Second Instrument
Learning the Piano The piano isn’t just for pianists. Why not consider the piano as a second instrument? Did you know that the world’s most popular instrument is also the…
Easy Music Theory
Music Theory doesn’t have to consist of boring drills and endless busy work. Easy Music theory is in every piece so why not teach it as you go? I majored…
How to Get Free Pianos for Students?
I have been presented with a new problem in my studio over the last few years. That is, people signing up for lessons who don’t have pianos. Of course, I…
Convincing Students to Count Rhythm
To Count rhythm? or Not to Count rhythm? Convincing students to count rhythm. Here I go again trying to cajole a student into counting aloud. I can tell what she’s…
Piano Method Books – A Brief History
I have been doing some research on the history of piano method books. Who taught the great composers of the past to play? and what materials were used to teach…
Choosing Piano Repertoire
The Never Ending “I Can’t Find a Piece I Like” Continuum Have you ever heard something like this while choosing piano repertoire? “Sarah doesn’t practice much because she really doesn’t…
The 30 Minute Piano Lesson
The Thirty Minute Piano Lesson Have you ever wondered why the 30-minute, private piano lesson is the standard for piano pedagogy? I have. I have tried different approaches yet I…
10 Activities for Preschool Piano Students
I love teaching preschool piano students, but in order to keep the little ones engaged it is important to keep things moving. Here are 10 activities I use during preschool…
Free Online Piano Books and Materials
Paloma Piano offers Free online piano books and materials, What are the advantages of being able to print your piano method books? I have been teaching piano lessons for over…
10 Benefits of Listening to Classical Music
Let’s face it; convincing your students that classical music is “cool” can be difficult. Most students would rather learn more contemporary songs. What these students fail to realize, however, is…
Starting a Home Piano Studio
Many people aspire to have a home business, After all, what’s not to like? No overhead, no commute, no boss. I have taught piano lessons at music stores, in…
Piano Lessons For Adults
Piano lessons aren’t just for kids anymore, and that’s great news! So many people who missed out on the opportunity to take lessons as children are signing up for piano…
Dance and Music a Great Combination
“Dance like music is the expression of the human spirit. Dance is visual music” – S.Janaki. Dance and Music a Great Combination Dance and music. Last Saturday I attended…
How to Teach Music Reading
How to Teach Music Reading In the last post, we discussed the challenges of learning to read piano music. This post will address how the Paloma Piano method can…
How To Get More Piano Students and Grow Your Studio
How to Get More Piano Students If you are just starting out as a piano teacher and dream of having a large, vibrant studio: here are some ideas…
10 Piano Recital Tips
Piano Recital Tips As the school year comes to a close, teachers parents, and students are looking forward to the spring recital. Here are some tips to make recital time…
When Students Want to Quit Playing the Piano
I happen to love playing the piano! But, the 88 keys are not for everyone. Learning the piano takes a huge commitment of both time and money. It’s a…
The Benefits of Piano Study
The Benefits of Piano Study There are many benefits of piano study. Here are a few: 1) Music study is good for the mind; many studies show that overall…
The Paloma Story
The Paloma Piano Story Five years ago I began teaching introductory piano lessons at a special needs school. The students did not have pianos at home and could only…
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